Nigerian Schools to Teach Math and Science in Local Languages

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has plans to ensure that Nigerian schools teach mathematics and science subjects in indigenous languages.
This, he said will “popularize” STEM subjects and encourage pupil’s interests in the sciences.
The minister stated this while addressing pupils of Ekulu Primary School in Enugu, when he presented computer sets and other science kits donated by the Ministry of Science and Technology to the school.
The minister said the Federal Government was worried about the low interest in mathematics and the sciences in primary and secondary schools across the country so, is working on plans to teach mathematics and sciences in indigenous languages in primary schools.
Onu believes that Nigeria would remain an import-dependent nation if her citizens do not embrace science and technology.
He said “No nation can become great without science and technology. If Nigeria is to be great, then, Nigerians must embrace science and technology.
“You can’t produce anything without science and technology. We are exporting our jobs by importing everything we need, and that is why our graduates are no longer able to get jobs after their studies.
“For us to build the country of our dreams, for us to make Nigeria a truly great nation, a nation that is able to feed and house its citizens, a nation with a stable currency, we must embrace science and technology
Stating India an example of a country that successfully implemented a similar strategy, Onu said the government believes that this plan will help our students to understand mathematics and the science subjects, and also promote the application of science and technology for national development.”
The minister, however, said there was a need to first develop the vocabulary of the indigenous languages before they could be used to teach the subjects effectively.
He said the Ministry of Science and Technology would collaborate with the Ministry of Education to develop the capacity of the local languages to serve as effective tools for teaching mathematics and science subjects.